Electrical connecting socket and plug



Feb. 1, 1944. E. L. SCOTT ELECTRICAL CONNECTING SOCKET AND PLUG Filed May 1, 1941 v I Invent .fiYbemLScaZZ Patented Feb. 1, 1944 ELECTRICAL CONNECTING SOCKET AND PLUG Eben L. Scott, Kansas City, Mo. Application May 1, 1941, Serial No. 391,260

1 Claim.

This invention relates to electrical plug and socket outlets or connectors and has for its primary object to produce a safety outlet for use in locations where an explosive gas may be present.

With the general object named in view and others as will hereinafter appear, the invention consists in certain novel and useful features of construction and organization of parts as hereinafter described and claimed; and in order that it may be fully understood, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a face view of an electrical socket and plug embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical section of the construction shown by Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section of the construction shown by Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is a detail perspective view, partly broken away, of the plug feature of the preceding figures.

In the said drawing, which illustrates a construction wherein the parts are clamped together by manual manipulation the inner face of the face plate 46 is formed with a pair of oppositely facing wedge surfaces 41 in diametrically opposite relation. The insulating closure 48 on the end of the socket 49 is cut-away adjacent the face plate to provide a chamber 50 receiving the Wedge surfaces 41. The face plate and the closure are provided with the usual alined openings to permit the entry of the cross head 5| of a tubular plug 52. Th head 5| carries a pair of contacts H, as shown, for engaging the terminals of the electric conductor straps C, molded in the socket 491, the contact of the parts being maintained by pressure of the spring S, mounted within the socket as shown by Figure 2. The wiring W, running through the plug 52, is in permanent contact with the contacts H. In order to provide for the tight sealing of the opening through the front of the face plate, the plug 52 is slidingly and rotatively fitted in a sleeve 53, the latter being formed with an operating handle 54 at its outer end. The end of the sleeve opposite its handle 54 is formed with a cross head 55 corresponding in contour to the head 5| of the plug, and the outer face of said cross head 55 is formed with a pair of wedge surfaces 56 for cooperative engagement with the corresponding Wedge surfaces 4'! on the inner face of the cover plate. At a proper point intermediate the cross head 55 and the operating handle 54, the sleeve 53 is integrally formed with, or has afiixed thereto, a sealing plate or disk 51. With this arrangement it will be apparent that by proper manipulation of the sleeve 53 its wedge surfaces 56 can be made to cooperate with the wedge surfaces 41 to draw the plate 51 tightly down against the outer face of the cover plate 46 to seal the opening against propagation of the flame of any explosion or burning of gas entrapped within the socket.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that I have produced a simple, strong and efiicient electrical socket and plug construction, susceptible of modification within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

The combination in an electrical outlet socket and plug, of a body of insulating material having a tubular bore, a plurality of electrical contacts carried by said body, a plug for detachable insertion into said socket, contacts carried by the plug for cooperative engagement with the socket contacts, a plate overlying one face of the insulating body member and providing a chamber between said plate and body, a sleeve slidingly and rotatably receiving said plug, a sealing disk extending radially outward from said sleeve for sealing engagement with one face of the plate, and a series of cam surfaces extending radially outward from the sleeve for engagement with the other face of the plate within said chamber for drawing the sealing disk into sealing engagement with said plate.

EBEN L. SCOTT. 

